february favorites

February sped right by and part of me isn’t even sure that it happened at all. It was, however, a month of discoveries. In previous favorites posts, I tended to stick to makeup and skincare, but I thought I’d fill you guys in on the little projects I’ve been working on throughout the month as well.

Makeup

None of these items are new by any means, but they’re new to me. For my birthday, Andrew’s mom took me shopping at Sephora and thus began the revamp of my daily makeup. I’ve wanted to try Tarte eyeshadows for so long now but never could bring myself to go for it. I chose the Tarte Clay Play Volume II palette. I typically don’t give these types of products a second glance as something in it would typically go untouched. But the moment I saw it I realized it was exactly what I needed. The blush and bronzer are shades that compliment my skin tone, and the eyeshadows are neutral and easy to work with. This makes for the perfect travel companion. It’s on the larger size, but it keeps me from having to pack all of those products individually.

I couldn’t help myself and ended up getting the Tartelette Toasted palette which I’ve had my eye on for a while. The only thing I regret is not getting it sooner. I’m able to create the looks I love and get a little out of my comfort zone with the shades that I wouldn't otherwise reach for.

In addition to the Tarte palettes, I picked up the fun size Creme Brulee and Holy Grail palettes from Violet Voss and I immediately fell in love with their formula. They’re tiny, but offer such a good variety of shadows. They even have a mirror making them perfect for traveling light.

Finally, a blush that I’ve been wanting to get for a while now: the Burt’s Bees blush in Toasted Cinnamon. I’ve wanted this blush since I first saw KathleenLights raving about it months ago, but it’s been sold out at the only store in my area that carries it. This is my new everyday blush, and I even use this as an eyeshadow for a quick, everyday look.

Skincare

I haven’t updated my skincare routine too drastically as of late, but when I saw that my birthday reward at Sephora gave me the option of some Drunk Elephant products, I jumped on it. The Protini Polypeptide Cream, in particular, works so well and goes a long way! I’ve been using it all month and I still have quite a bit left. I don’t know if I’ll be able to swallow its $68 price tag, but a girl sure is tempted.

I don’t use makeup wipes very often, but because I’ve been going to the gym after work, they’re the most convenient option. I decided to try the Up & Up Evening Calm Cleansing Towelettes. They’re cruelty-free (that surprised me, too), they smell sooo good, one wipe gets the job done, and they leave my face feeling clean without any weird residue. I’ve been carrying these around with me on longer trips when I decide to take my makeup off on the car ride home. Long gone are the days of that grimy, makeup left on too long feeling.

I haven't picked up any new face masks in a while, but I found the First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Ginger & Turmeric Vitamin C Jelly Mask and was instantly intrigued. I've been wanting to incorporate more Vitamin C into my skincare routine so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. This mask leaves my skin noticeably recharged and bright. It also clears up whatever trouble spots I've been having. It has a definite tingle when first applied, but I actually like it! It's the only mask I've been reaching for lately.

Organization

My closet has always been on the messier side since moving into our apartment. Our lack of furniture meant that at one point most of our clothes were in piles on the floor, and it slowly started to have its rightful place as we furnished our space. Still, my shoes and bags have remained an organized mess. I decided to use some of my Target gift cards from Christmas on a new shoe rack and some baskets to get a head start. Once I tackled my closet, I headed over to the local Dollar Tree to pick up some containers and label stickers to take on the space under our bathroom sink. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this before, you can’t beat a $1 price tag! I also picked up some smaller (but surprisingly sturdy) containers for drawers and smaller items.

February Books

I didn’t start reading much this month until the end, but I managed to get through three books, each of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I started reading Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo when we were in Atlanta last month, but the rental on my Kindle expired before I finished it. I decided to look for it on a trip to my public library and finished it the same day. It was so worth the wait. It’s so out the realm of what I usually read, but that’s precisely why I don’t read the description if I can get away with it.

I read The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides for a local book club that I participate in and it kept me on edge the entire time. I enjoyed that it didn’t make anything too obvious. I can’t wait to discuss it later this week.

On a whim, I picked up Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I remember seeing its cover quite a bit around the internet. I’m gonna be honest. For the first quarter of this book, I couldn’t stand the character of Eleanor, but I found myself not able to put it down regardless of my initial feeling towards the character. But as the book progressed, I began to understand and forgive her behavior (which is probably the author’s intent). The book left me wanting more of Eleanor Oliphant and Raymond, and I don’t regret picking it up at all.